Matthew 21

• Matthew 21:5 – This is quoted from Zechariah 9:9. See Psalms 24:7-10. The picture is of the Lord coming into His city as a king.
  • Isaiah 61:1-2 – Jesus read this scripture in Luke 4:18-19 and applied it to Himself.
  • Isaiah 62:4, 1, 10 – Zion was downtrodden but would rejoice.
• Matthew 21:9 – See Psalms 118:19-24. Compare Luke 19:37-38. The occasion was the Passover festival.
• Matthew 21:15-16 – See Luke 19:39. The quote is from Psalms 8:2. Compare Matthew 18:3; 19:13-14 regarding children.
• Matthew 21:12-13 – Jesus drives out the people who had turned the temple into a market. The traders were using the arrangement for sacrifices God had set up under the Law of Moses to take advantage of others.
• Matthew 21:19-22 – This was the season for figs produced from old growth. Jesus is making the comparison to the Jews who should have believed in Him but did not. The “old growth” was not bearing fruit as it should.

Introduction

• Read God’s word every day!
• If you rush past the ruler to get to the rules, you may not assess them correctly. The Bible is a Jesus book!

Nehemiah

• Overview
  • Laments the sins of the people – Nehemiah 1:3-7
  • Travels far to go and help them – Nehemiah 2:4-11
  • Teaches repentance and renewal – Nehemiah 2:13-18
  • Motivates them to work together – Nehemiah 3
  • Stands against outside opposition – Nehemiah 4:8-16
  • Calls for unity, peace, and love – Nehemiah 5:1-13
  • Faces threat of death by enemies – Nehemiah 6:1-10
  • Finishes the work he sets out to do – Nehemiah 6:15-16
  • Becomes a leader for years to come – Nehemiah 5:14
  • Calls for continual faithfulness – Nehemiah 10:28-39
• Would you have listened to Nehemiah?
• Nehemiah was a shadow of a great leader: Jesus

Jesus

• Overview
  • Laments the sins of the people
  • Travels far to go and help them – Philippians 2
  • Teaches repentance and renewal
  • Motivates them to work together
  • Stands against outside opposition
  • Calls for unity, peace, and love
  • Faces threat of death by enemies
  • Finishes the work he sets out to do – Hebrews 12
  • Becomes a leader for years to come
  • Calls for continual faithfulness
• Is His passion enough for you? Or do you have to wait until it is your own idea?
• Will you allow Jesus to call you to repent? To demand change?
• Can He pull you into communal service, to church involvement?
• Is He worth overcoming external and internal pressures to quit?
• Is past involvement enough? Or can He call you in for more?

A call to service

• Elders – I Timothy 3:10, 1
• Deacons
• Teachers
• Evangelists
• Hosts
• Givers
• Workers
• Encouragers
• Romans 12:1-8 – Don’t wait to feel the call. Hear the call!
• Ephesians 4:11-16
• When you get lazy and lethargic, you get mean and blame others. This doesn’t happen if you use your hands for good.

Conclusion

• Matthew 16:24
• Are you a 90 or a 52?

Introduction

• Acts 2

Colossians 3

• Colossians 3:1-4
  • Think and live for Christ and Heaven’s glory.
  • Keep buried the life that was exposed to Satan.
  • Anticipate His return and the glory that is to come.
• If Jesus is real to you, the main way people will see that is in your relationships with other people.

Relationships

Matthew 5:13-48

• Be a good influence (Matthew 5:13-16)
  • You cannot out-worship a bad attitude.
• Do not mistreat believers (Matthew 5:21-26)
• Do not lust for another (Matthew 5:27-30)
  • Loving others properly can help with lust.
• Do not divorce your spouse (Matthew 5:31-32)
• Be a person of integrity (Matthew 5:33-37)
• Do not return evil for evil (Matthew 5:38-42)
• Love even your enemies (Matthew 5:43-48)

Ephesians 4:1-3

Colossians 3:5-4:6

• Avoid sexual immorality (Colossians 3:3-7)
  • A sin against God and others
• Treat Christians properly (Colossians 3:8-16)
  • Not with anger and meanness
  • But with compassion and love
  • Encouraging with thankfulness
    • Ephesians 4:29
• Honor your family (Colossians 3:18-21)
  • Loving them and the Lord
• Respect authority roles (Colossians 3:22-4:1)
  • Loving them and the Lord
• Influence people everywhere (Colossians 4:2-6)
  • With wisdom and grace

Matthew 7:13-14, 12

• The context here is the golden rule!
• Treat others well!

Colossians 2

• Colossians 2:1-3
• Colossians 2:10-15 – Notice the repeating phrases “in Him,” “with Him,” and “through Him.”
• Colossians 2:4 – Watch out for slight distortions in the scriptures. It’s possible to be wrong by being either too loose or too tight with the scripture.

Philosophical reasoning (Colossians 2:8)

• Man’s logic
• I Corinthians 1:18-21, 23-25 – God will thwart the “wisdom” of the world.
• I Corinthians 6:18
• The result of philosophy is that we end up doing what we think is right.

Mystical spiritualism (Colossians 2:18-19)

• Galatians 1:6-9 – If it was not taught by Jesus, it is not the truth.

Sectarian legalism (Colossians 2:16-17)

• Or, “we decide”
• If we become a thing and try to decide who’s in or out, we are going beyond Jesus.
• Matthew 15:1-6

Extreme conservatism (Colossians 2:20-23)

• Conservatism for the sake of conservatism is not the gospel.
• Just saying “no” to everything doesn’t make you more holy.

Introduction

• Why are you here right now?
• Ephesians 1:3-8; 4:1 – You can not walk any stronger than your understanding of how worthy your walk is.
• I Corinthians 1:2-9 – The church in Corinth had a lot of problems, but Paul started by reminding them about Jesus.
• God provides our fuel!

Colossians 1

Colossians 1:1-8 – “because of the HOPE”

• “faith in Christ” – Colossians 1:4
• “love for saints” – Colossians 1:4
• “bearing fruit” – Colossians 1:6
• I Peter 1:3-7 – We should be rejoicing in our faith!
• Romans 5:1-5
• Hebrews 6:19-20 – Hope anchors our soul.

Colossians 1:9-12 – “filled with the KNOWLEDGE”

• “walk … worthy” – Colossians 1:10
• “please God in all” – Colossians 1:11
• “steadfast and patient” – Colossians 1:11
• Colossians 1:26-27

Colossians 1:13-22

• Jesus is …
  • Rescuer – Colossians 1:13
  • Redeemer – Colossians 1:14
  • Eternal God – Colossians 1:15
  • Creator – Colossians 1:15
  • Sustainer – Colossians 1:17
  • Head of the body – Colossians 1:18
  • Risen from the dead – Colossians 1:18
  • Peacemaker – Colossians 1:20
  • Reconciler – Colossians 1:22